The first time I came to Lebanon was in October of last year..October 22 – October 31st in fact. My flight on the 31st, was one of those annoying 3:45 am flights..so my friends took me to Gemmazyeh for a farewell drink before taking me to the airport. I remember walking down Gemmazyeh for the first time marveling at how everyone was dressed up in their Halloween costumes..I never thought, not for one second, that Halloween had picked up anywhere outside of the States, especially in the Middle East..!!

Anyway, it’s been a year since then, and I’m back in Lebanon for Halloween a second time!!..Amazing how time flies ain’t it? And again, I was so surprised last night at how everyone at the “Down the Rabbit Hole” Halloween party I went to was dressed to the NINES in full costume. You should have seen some of the get ups..Lady Gaga was out in full force, as was the usual sexy fairies, sexy snow whites, and sexy french maids (some things never change). I really wish my friends and family back home could’ve seen it! I’ve attached some pictures below to show you a glimpse into my night last night. What did you end up doing for Halloween?

Anyway, just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Halloween and say that I’m so happy that I made the decision to move here! 😀

Djette during her opening set at Down the Rabbit Hole..she was incredible!

3 responses to “Trick or Treat! Happy Halloween everyone!”

I was a hippie this year! With lots of ribbons and lots of rainbows 😉
Even though Halloween is famous here, Trick-or-Treat’ing isn’t! When I was 10, my mom called all the neighbors and friends and ask them to buy candies for Halloween 😛
That’s the first and the last time I went Trick-or-Treat’ing, it was a disaster! Almost everyone forgot to buy us sweets and I came back home with an almost empty bag! :’-(

Yea Lebanon may also be the only place in the world where Halloween is celebrated mainly by arrogant, attention-hungry clubbing enthusiast adults, as oppose to revolving around children and their trick-or-treating, which after all, is what Halloween should be all about. Halloween in Lebanon is just another night out for party-goers, but with costumes (which lack creativity too, btw)
Sadly, Lebanon is built on nothing but cheap imitations.

We Christians In Lebanon celebrate something called Santa Barbara day which is similar in concept to Halloween but the idea comes from a Saint and not Zombies. I remember my mother telling me so many stories about this day when she was a kid (over 50 years ago) in her tiny Village in Lebanon. The traditions and songs that she would speak of where so full of innocence and youthful spirit of the kids going from door to door collecting sweets.
So.. in short, Lebanon celebrates their own “Halloween” which has nothing do to with the influences of Western Halloween.
“Saint Barbara’s day or Eid il-Burbara is celebrated in Syria, Lebanon and Palestine among Arab Christians annually on December 4, in a feast day similar to that of North American Halloween.[17] The traditional food for the occasion is Burbara, a bowl of boiled barley, pomegranate seeds, raisins, anise and sugar offered to masquerading children.[18][19] The general belief among Lebanese Christians is that Saint Barbara disguised herself in numerous characters to elude the Romans who were persecuting her.”